Fight or Flight: Missing moments
by jammin287
Summary: Companion piece to the Fight or Flight series or stand alone. Missing moments from the lives of the Marauders and Harry. Not chronological
1. Chapter 1

**2****nd**** November 1981**

Remus knew that something was wrong the moment he woke up. It was like part of him knew what had happened. His heart ached, like a cut the split second before it starts to bleed. He shook his head and climbed out of bed. He got as far as the kitchen when he started to know that something had happened. As he was in an isolated safe house, he didn't normally get visitors. But as soon as he reached for the fridge, he felt a breach in the wards. Remus grabbed his wand and raced to the door, searching for the intruder.

He froze as soon as he saw whom it was. Albus Dumbledore was walking towards the house, a grave expression on his face. Even though hardly anybody knew where the house was, Remus still didn't lower his wand. In the middle of a war, suspicion was probably the only reason that he was still alive. Dumbledore approached the door and waited calmly as Remus asked a question.

"In your opinion, what was the best prank that the marauders pulled at Hogwarts?"

Remus knew the answer to this one, the headmaster having already told them. Nobody but he, James and Sirius knew the true answer, so it was perfect for the identity questions that Dumbledore had made them all come up with.

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "I would say that it was when you turned the Grand Staircase into a waterfall, but you got caught; so I shall have to say the time you managed to change all of the doors around in the castle. We were all walking into walls for days"

Remus laughed, not for the first time still wishing that he was back at Hogwarts. They both knew that there was no way Remus was being impersonated, he hadn't left the house in nearly a month. "Well then, you best come in Albus" Remus replied, smiling slightly. "Tea, headmaster?" Remus didn't wait for a response; Dumbledore was awfully predictable when it came to warm drinks. Remus turned around and began to fill the small kettle with water.

"No Remus, I have some awful, heart breaking news for you" Remus froze, fear beginning to wrap its cold tendrils around his heart. "Have you seen the Prophet today?"

"No, I don't have a subscription, I can't affo –" Remus trailed off, a slight red flush creeping up his face. "What did you want to tell me?"

Dumbledore looked at him, a look of sorrow and pity on his face. "Last night, at about 8PM, Voldemort broke through the Fidelus charm and killed James and Lily Potter"

The teapot that Remus had been holding crashed to the floor as he stared at the headmaster. That couldn't be right…they couldn't be gone. They were safe. Dumbledore himself had told them to do the Fidelus Charm. Surely not?

Remus didn't know what to say, or what he should even feel. Pain, disbelief and grief were warring within him, all clamouring to be the dominant emotion. A single tear began to trace its path down his face. He'd lost two of his best friends in the blink of an eye.

"There's more Remus. Sometime this morning, Sirius Black was found in the middle of a Muggle street near Birmingham. He was stood at the centre of an explosion, an explosion that we've since learned killed 12 Muggles and 1 wizard; Peter Pettigrew"

Remus stared at him, absolutely horror struck. He didn't know what happened next, but he was vaguely aware of crashing to the floor. He was also vaguely aware of tears pouring down his face and a low wail, almost like an injured cat filling the room. He knew that it was him making the noise, but he didn't care. Everything he'd had was gone. Ripped away from him by the actions of one man. And then it hit him. Not only had Sirius killed all those poor people, but also he'd been the secret keeper. He'd held everything Remus had in one hand, and had thrown it all away, turning his back on the people that had considered him a friend.

A thought suddenly struck Remus, and through the tears he looked up at Dumbledore. "Harry? What's-Where is he?" Remus choked out, barely able to form words through his heartbreak.

Dumbledore looked at him sadly, a lone tear forming in his usually twinkling blue eyes. "Harry is on his way to the only family he has left. I am being forced into leaving him with Lily's sister. I'm sorry Remus"

Remus stared at him, finally managing to force himself into a kneeling position. "Lily's sister? Why can't he come here? We're both the last person the other one has"

"Remus, you know for a fact that the ministry will not let a werewolf have custody of a child, especially not Harry Potter"

Remus was too taken up by the refusal to pay attention to the possibility of Harry being special to the wizarding world. Harry was special to him regardless. He was the last living piece of James and Lily, and that was all that mattered to him. Remus fell back to the floor, the last shred of his previous life torn from him. Everything was gone.

OoOoOo

**5****th**** November 1981**

Dumbledore had left not long after telling Remus that he couldn't take Harry, leaving Remus alone. He was alone in every sense of the word, he had nothing left. He briefly considered suicide, hoping to get away from the pain and torment that haunted him all day. That didn't last long. Somewhere, deep down, Remus still clung to the hope that one day, he would see Harry again and they could start to repair the wounds they would surely both carry.

Today was their funeral. The last rite of James and Lily Potter. Remus felt empty. It was like his heart had just been removed from his chest, and in its place a shard of ice. It twisted every time he thought about them, forcing its way deeper and deeper into his chest. He still couldn't really believe that they were gone. They were always so full of life, that it seemed a travesty to even think of them being gone.

He was vaguely aware of somebody crying behind him as he walked towards the front of the assembled people. He hadn't been able to do much this week, but it only seemed right that he be the one to give the eulogy. After all, he knew the Potters best out of everybody here. He climbed onto the slight podium and looked out at the crowd of people before him. There were so few of them. So few had survived the war, and very few of them in one piece.

Remus cleared his throat and began to speak. "I met James Potter on the first train to Hogwarts. He walked in, smiling with excitement as we all introduced ourselves. We chatted aimlessly on the way there, as eleven year olds often do. And then the trolley went past. Now, I didn't have any money to buy sweets but James stood up and then returned with his arms full of sweets. He'd bought them for everybody in the carriage with us. That was the James Potter I knew, a loyal, kind man. Many people will tell you about his bravery, becoming an auror and all the good that he fought for while there. Not me. I will always remember him as the smiling, cheerful boy who bought every one sweets in an effort to make everybody happy. That was the man that he was. A man who couldn't bear to see a frown, and who lit up with joy when he heard someone laugh.

It was also on that first day of term that he decided Lily was the girl for him. At the age of eleven, he'd fallen in love with her beautiful smile and her musical laugh. Of course, those of you who knew them will know that it took six years for him to win her over. That's not to say he didn't try. I can distinctly remember him climbing onto the Gryffindor table and publically declaring his love for Lily. I can also remember her reaction – she threw her goblet of pumpkin juice at him. Six years he tried to get her to see him as he saw her, and finally it worked.

Now, James had a special sappy grin that only ever graced his features on rare occasions. We could all tell the day Lily said yes because he walked around for about a week with it permanently etched on his features. The grin didn't resurface until the day he proposed, and then again on the day of the wedding. They were such a perfect couple, and yet it felt like something was missing. They both threw themselves into the war, fighting for the world that we have today. And then baby Harry was born. The sappy grin was back and it almost seemed permanently attached to his face when Harry was around. That little boy was everything to them. I don't think I've ever seen a little boy so loved by his parents.

And now, though they may be gone where no evil can harm them, their legacy lives on. Harry is alive because of them. And I hope that he will always grow up with the knowledge of his parents. Their bravery, kindness, joy and most importantly, their courage – to stand up for what was right, no matter the cost. They paid the ultimate price for their bravery, but I doubt they would want to be remembered like this. They would want the good times to be remembered – the train journeys, and the pranks, and the trips to Hogsmeade, but most importantly for the love that they showed to their friends and family. I know for a fact, that that is how I will remember them"

Remus finished, tears already snaking down his face. He hoped he'd done them justice. James and Lily had always been the bravest and best people that he knew, and even though it hurt to think or talk about them, it distracted him from the other thing occupying his heart. Sirius. That he could have betrayed them all seemed absurd, but it all fit. Remus shook his head quickly and wiped away the tears. He drew his wand and conjured two different flowers to rest on their coffins. A fire lily to rest on James' coffin, and a sunflower for Lily. Lily had always loved sunflowers, and of course, James had always loved lilies. Remus laid the two flowers on the coffins and stepped back to watch the rest of the guests do the same.

"Mr Lupin, is it?" A voice asked from behind him. Remus spun around and felt his mouth drop. Petunia Dursley was stood in front of him. Remus quickly closed his mouth as the first genuine smile crept over his face at the sight of Harry in her arms. The boy was straining to get to Remus, obviously recognising him.

"Yes. May I?" Remus asked, gesturing towards Harry. Petunia nodded stiffly and Remus reached forward to take Harry from her arms. Remus heard Harry say his name and he smiled, pulling the toddler into a fierce hug.

"Lily may have turned her back on us, but she was still my sister. I was very sorry to hear of her death. I came here for two reasons: to pay my respects and to ask that you never try to find us"

Remus froze, the smile slowly starting to fall from his face. "W-what? Never find you?"

Petunia nodded slightly. "It is obvious that your world is far more dangerous than Lily ever thought, and we want to raise Harry away from that. We want him to be safe, and your continued presence in his life would have a detrimental effect on that"

"You want to raise him away from magic? You cannot deny him his birthright, and besides, what are you going to do when he starts using accidental magic? What about when he gets his letter?" Remus asked, his voice rising ominously.

"We'll deal with that accordingly, when and if it happens. If you don't mind?" Petunia said sharply, waiting impatiently for Remus to hand Harry back to her. He had half a mind to refuse and to run away, keeping Harry with him, but he knew that would be a bad idea. He couldn't give the toddler the life he deserved, not as he was. Very reluctantly, he handed Harry back to her, disentangling Harry's fists from his shirt.

"I'm so sorry Harry" Remus whispered as Petunia marched away, Harry's cries lingering in the still air long after he was gone. Petunia didn't realise the crushing blow that she'd just dealt him. That had been his one comfort, that he'd still be able to visit Harry. Not anymore. There was nothing left now.

He was alone.

_**This is a companion piece to the Fight or Flight Series, but I guess it could standalone too. This will basically contain any missing moments from both of the stories. So it is open to suggestion, if there is anything you'd like to see, feel free to ask and I'll see what I can do.**_

_**Please leave a review**_


	2. Chapter 2: Injuries

**20****th**** june 1981**

Sirius wiped a hand over his face tiredly. He wasn't sleeping well. That was the least of his problems today. It was one of those horrible hot, dry days that made you want a drink as soon as you went outside. Dry leaves crackled under their feet and Sirius looked around with worry. These trees were as dry as kindling. He shared a sharp glance with Moody. They both knew what could very likely happen. Moody stopped. Peter nearly walked straight into him.

"Pair up," He hissed, "and be quiet about it!"

Peter scurried over to Sirius' side, deliberately not meeting Moody's eyes. Because James wasn't on this mission he'd been partnered with Peter. He was glad. He knew for a fact that he fought more fiercely when he was defending a friend. He smiled grimly at Peter and then looked back to Moody.

"Black, Pettigrew, take the back. Lupin, McKinnon, right. Prewett and Prewett, left. Meadowes, you're with me – we'll take the front. Vance and Dearborn, join Black and Podmore, Doge, come with me and Meadowes. Grey, Alden go with McKinnon. Holm, go with the Prewetts"

Sirius looked at the group of people in front of them. A strange group it had to be said. A worryingly small group to try and accomplish what they had set out to do. He knew there were some fearless fighters in the group before him, but even so. Fifteen was a ridiculously small group to be attacking one of the oldest wizarding homes in the country. Sadly however, that was all thr Order had to offer. There were a few people that couldn't come – professors, those in hiding, or those who were greviously injured in the last raid. But the Order wasn't a large organisation. All in all, they numbered under 30. They'd lost so many people, but still they carried on.

Moody nodded and the group split into four, each going their separate ways. Sirius took a deep breath and led the four of them to their designated spot. They'd gone over the plan so many times with Moody, Sirius was quite sure he could recite it in his slepe. They crept forwards.

Peter suddenly grabbed Sirius' amr. He turend around, a look of dark fury on his face. His furious hiss died in his throat as he looked at the three people following; Blood had drained from their faces and their wide, horrified eyes were fixed on a point somewhere over his shoulder. He pulled his wand closer and turned. He felt his own blood drain from his face. A bloody and bruised had was nailed to the door, a nail through each of the fingertips. All of the fingernails had been pulled off. Sirius didn't need to see the intricate ring to know that it had once belonged to Benjy Fenwick. They'd been sent his head in a box just last week.

Thoughts of what the poor man had endured before they finally killed him flashed through his mind, each one more grotesque than the last. He gasped as the sickening message sunk in. "They know we're coming"

Peter and Emmaline went, if possible, even paler. "What do we do?"

Caradoc glanced at them, placing a reassuring hand on Emmaline's shoulder. "We have to carry on as planned. If we go back we risk ruining the entire operation. Something might still be salvaged from this"

Sirius swallowed thickly and nodded. He turned around and led them forward so they were directly facing the grotesque image on the door. He could feel Peter trembling next to him as they all drew their wands. Sirius checked his watch. Any second now… There was a loud, echoing crack from the other side of the house and almost instantly, a loud cackle. Sirius nearly froze. He'd grown up with that evil laugh. He'd known that she would be here, but still…

A loud scream rent the air, followed almost immediately by a sound of smashing glass. Caradoc turned to him as the four of them skidded to a stop, just as they smashed down the door. "They're not in here. Get out before they trap us in"

Sirius nodded and raced around to the front of the house, Peter following close behind. They didn't Remus, or any of his team, but one of the large windows had splintered and there was a disturbingly large puddle of blood on the ground. Peter stopped, bu Sirius carried on. He froze as he rounded the corner and nearly ran straight into a purple jet of light. He ran as soon as it had zoomed past, a stunning spell already on his lips.

It was utter chaos. The Order were outnumbered at least 2:1, and the odds weren't getting any better. As he watched Harriett Grey fell to the floor like a dead weight. She didn't move again. Remus had a large bruise on his face as he ducked behind the large basilisk statue in the middle of the courtyard. Marlene raced across the courtyard, drawing two death eaters away from the fight. Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange were grinning as they hurled curses into the battle, adding to the confusion. Bellatrix was laughing madly as she watched Joshua Holm writhe and scream. She looked up and grinned.

"Hello cousin. Come to join the show?"

Sirius glared at her fiercely. He saw Moody stagger into his field of vision, his face set in a snarl as he fought three death eaters at once. Sirius' eyes flickered away as he stepped back to avoid a death eater who crashed in front of him. Gideon grinned at him and was swept back into the fight. He met Bellatrix's dark eyes and knew exactly what the feral grin on her face meant. He whipped his wand into the air and shouted "STUPEFY" just as she shouted "CRUCIO".

The spells collided in mid-air and exploded. Both he and Bellatrix were thrown backwards. A deafening bang echoed round the courtyard. His back slammed into something solid, he could feel parts of it shattering. He lay still for a moment, his ears ringing and the world spinning. A body flew past his field of vision, friend or foe he couldn't tell.

He sat up, still not able to focus on the battle in front of him. he tried to move and promptly vomited as the ground tilted before him. he closed his eyes again and immediately became aware of a numbness in his back. He was sure he hadn't hit his back that hard. He tried to move his hands to feel his back. He felt a dull pain as he poked himself in the back. Not broken then. But why were his legs numb?

He opened his eyes again and looked at his hands. They were both covered in blood. His eyes widened involuntarily and he looked down. The sight made bile rise in his throat again. The blast had thrown him backwards, onto the open mouth of the stone basilisk in the courtyard. Its magically sharpened tooth had pierced his knee cap, leaving bone, muscle and cartilage mangled. Blood was pouring from the wound and he winced as pain began to rise. The knee cap had been shattered, the muscles torn and the cartilage shredded. He felt quite sick as he watched blood, more blood than he'd ever thought his body could hold, sheet down his leg.

He stared at his leg in horror, unable to tear his eyes away from the awful sight. A bloody mess of bone, muscle, tendons, blood and stone were in place of what had, 5 minutes ago, been a perfectly functioning leg. A sharp, ripping pain suddenly flamed up his leg and it was all he could do to not scream. He bit his lip to stop himself crying out as silence fell. A figure swam into his vision, blocking the sun. he recoiled, and then he realised who it was. Which was just as well because the slight movement had caused agonising pain to flare up his leg again. It was Remus.

His brown eyes widened. "Don't move Sirius. You'll make it worse"

Sirius would have laughed if his ribs didn't feel like a hippogriff had sat on them. He sort of spluttered a bit instead. "No shit Sherlock" He looked around at the dust filled courtyard. "What happened?"

Remus refused to meet his eyes. He knew what that meant. "Bellatrix, her husband, and his brother got away… as did some of the others I'd guess. Moody, Caradoc and the twins are currently securing the few that we caught" Remus slowly looked up. "Harriet Grey and Josh Holm are dead. Peter's out cold, Marlene's had her shoulder blown to hell and you… Oh, and some idiot lit the trees on fire. It's spreading like nobody's business. Sturgis, Dorcas and Elphias are trying to put it out"

Sirius looked away. he felt a blow to his stomach as Remus listed the dead. Josh had been one of their other roommates at school. Sirius considered him to be a good friend. The thought of him being gone made tears prick at his eyes. And Harriett. She was the bright spark in any room, able to make you smile just by looking at her earnest smile. It made him feel cold inside.

That was the last thought he had before the blood loss caught up with him, and he passed out, his leg twitching spasmodically.

"I think he's waking up" A slightly hoarse voice announced from his left. His eyelids seemed awfully heavy, and he struggled to open them. Regardless, he knew that voice. He couldn't have told you who it belongned to, but it was definitely familiar.

Another familiar voice spoke. "Are the healers sure that's wise? He's going to lose it when he realises what they had to do"

"He's not stupid enough to think that he'd get away scot free. Not after an injury like that"

"But you know what he's like" The second voice stated as if it were obvious. "He's bound to do something stupid. He always does"

Sirius had had enough. "You do know that he is awake? And can hear every single word you're saying?"

He forced his eyes open. Remus and Peter's faces swum into focus. He smiled and then frowned as he felt a strange tingling sensation on his knee. He tried to sit up to see the damage, but Remus pushed him back, a worried expression on his face.

"Stay where you are Sirius. You've lost too much blood"

He looked at Remus again as the tingling sensation shot painfully up his leg again. He batted Remus' hand away and struggled into a sitting position. He looked down. Beneath the blanket it was obvious that his knee was heavily bandaged. As he watched, the leg twitched pathetically. It felt oddly detached from his body – almost like iti didn't belong to him anymore. It was an awfully strange sensation. He stared at it in horror, flinching slightly as Remus spoke.

"You've done a lot of damage. The healers have rebuilt your knee, the muscles and the tendons; but they don't think it'll ever be the same again. I mean, they dealt with the visible damage, but they don't know if there was more"

Sirius fell back, his head crashing into the pillow. He could feel his leg protesting at the sudden movement, but he didn't care. The rest of his body felt numb. When he was at school, he always thought himself invincible. The real world had robbed him of that idea pretty quickly, but even then, he'd never done anything this serious. It would haunt him forever. Still, it could have been far worse. At least he was still alive.

_**AN: So I don't know if I said in chapter 1, but updates on this will likely be sporadic. This is, after all, just a companion piece. I intend to fill it with moments that are hinted to in the stories, but never out right shown. Which means that, if there's any moments from the stories, or the 7 year gap that you'd like to see, just let me know. **_

_**Please leave a review? **_


	3. Chapter 3: Presents

"Do you really think he'll like it?" Harry asked quietly, as he critically eyed his work.

"Of course he will, Harry" Remus reassured him. "Will you help me clean up please? Then we can wrap it?"

Harry nodded and picked up the paintbrushes that they'd used. He carried them over to the pot that Remus was holding out for him with a smile. Remus placed the paint back in the arts box that had been one of Harry's birthday presents and then drew his wand. Harry watched with fascination as Remus said "scourgify" and soapy bubbles frothed over the table. He'd lived with magic for just over a year, but it still amazed him. A year of living a life that was better than he could ever have dreamt of. He still thought it was a dream sometimes, like when the three of them had gone to France in the summer.

"Harry, shall we go and wrap it?" Remus said as he shooed Jethro out of the doorway. The dog ignored him and trotted to Harry, who absentmindedly scratched his head as he nodded to Remus. Jethro followed them into the lounge and immediately took his preferred seat in front of the fire. Remus began to wrap the gift as Harry handed him torn off bits of sellotape, feeling rather important as he did so. That was one of the many things he loved about being with the two men – they always tried to include him, no matter what was going on. It made him smile just to think about it.

"We need to hide it. I mean, Sirius can't see his birthday present before his birthday" Harry announced as they stuck the last piece of wrapping paper together.

Remus looked at him. "Of course not. We can hide it in your room and then you can give it to him when you wake up"

Harry paused as he thought through the suggestion. "OK"

"We'll hide it, and then I need you to come help me with dinner. You're far better at stirring the cheese sauce than I am" Remus said with a slight smile. Harry grinned and leapt to his feet, already thinking of hiding places. It finally ended up hidden in Harry's sock drawer, much to his amusement.

By the time Sirius returned, Harry was knelt on a chair and quite happily stirring the cheese sauce and Remus was splitting his attention between watching Harry and keeping an eye on the large knife that was chopping branches of cauliflower. As soon as Harry heard Sirius, he dropped the spoon in the sauce and raced down the hall to Sirius, whereupon he practically threw himself at his godfather, who grinned and picked him up.

"What a great welcome. Have you had fun with Remus today?" Sirius asked, shrugging off his jacket as he carried Harry into the kitchen.

Harry nodded happily. "Remus taught me to spell all of our names today, and then we did some painting"

"Did you now? Can I see?"

Harry's eyes widened as he very nearly gave the game away. Remus intervened. "We painted some dogs, didn't we?" Harry nodded. Sirius smiled again. "They're drying over there" He gestured to the counter where they prepared Jethro's dinner.

Harry wriggled slightly in Sirius' arms. Sirius looked down at him. "Do you want to get down?"

Harry nodded timidly. "I need to finish making the sauce for dinner"

Sirius grinned and put him down. "Oh yes. You best check Remus hasn't done anything strange to it" Remus turned to glare at him. Sirius ignored him. "Hang on, let me tie your apron back up. You'll need it if Remus is about. He's a very messy chef"

"Not as messy as you" Harry replied without thinking. "You spilled gravy all over your shirt last week"

Remus laughed. "Well, he's got you pegged"

Sirius glared at him.

OoOoOo

Harry opened his eyes when he felt sunlight fall on his face. After years of being shut in a small cupboard, he loved being woken by the sun. He moved Finley and picked up his new glasses from his bedside table. Sirius had bought them for him last week, when his old ones had started leaving dents on the side of his face. He slid out of bed, placed his feet in his slippers and excitedly removed the present from the sock drawer. He really hoped Sirius liked it. Jethro appeared by his side, looking up at Harry hopefully.

"This is for Sirius. It's his birthday, you see. Do you want to come with me when I give it to him?" Harry asked as he patted the Golden Retriever's head. He wagged his tail a bit, which Harry presumed meant yes, so the two of them set off to find Sirius.

The door was slightly ajar when Harry got there. He tried to peek in, to see if Sirius was there, but Jethro it seemed, had other ideas. He nudged the door open with his nose and trotted into the room quite happily, ignoring Harry's whispered commands to "stop it now and come back here"

"Harry? Is that you?" Sirius' amused voice came from inside the room. "You're always allowed in here, you don't have to stand outside"

Harry sheepishly walked in, the present cradled carefully against his chest. "Morning Sirius. I just wanted to check if you were awake, but Jethro," He shot a glare at the dog, who was currently enjoying a back scratch from Sirius, ignored him. "Came in anyway"

Sirius smiled. "Yes, dogs will do that. To what do I owe the pleasure of a morning visit?"

Harry shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Well, I made you a birthday present. Remus helped me with the tricky stuff, but I did the rest"

Sirius' eyes widened. Harry immediately feared he'd done something wrong, and took an involuntary step backward. Sirius' eyes followed him and he spoke in a stern voice, which was ruined when he grinned broadly at Harry. "Where are you going? You can't promise a man a birthday present, and then not give it to him"

Harry grinned and ran towards the bed, letting Sirius swing him up next to him. Harry crossed his legs and presented Sirius the wrapped present. "Happy Birthday Sirius"

Sirius grinned at Harry, before carefully unwrapping the present. Out fell a hand-decorated mug, with the words 'I love you' carefully and painstakingly painted on the side. Smiley faces surrounded it and stars, and a big, black dog that Remus had helped him draw. Sirius gaped at it.

Harry looked down. "I didn't know what to get you, but Remus said you'd like it. If you don't, I can – I can –" He tried to fight down the tears that were threatening to fall. He'd had so much fun making the mug, and Remus had promised that Sirius would like it. He was wrong. All Harry had wanted to do was make Sirius happy and he'd failed. The thought made him want to cry.

"Oh Harry. It's the most wonderful present I think I've ever had. Thank you" Sirius said softly. Before Harry could look up at him, Sirius had pulled him into a tight hug. He kissed the top of Harry's head and whispered, "I love you too"

Harry eventually pulled away. "So you like it then? It's OK?"

Sirius smiled at him. "It's beautiful Harry, thank you so much" Harry grinned and Sirius climbed out of bed, pulling Harry with him. "Shall we go and get some breakfast?"

Harry nodded and let Sirius carry him into the kitchen. He smiled against Sirius' shoulder. Everything was good.


	4. Chapter 4: Emergency contacts

When Remus awoke, he immediately wished he hadn't. His head was pounding, and the room seemed to spin before his eyes. He closed them firmly, and pulled the duvet up even higher, hoping against hope that he could fall asleep again. No such luck. Eventually, he climbed out of bed, deciding that if he couldn't be sleeping, he might as well raid the fridge for food. The full moon always left him ravenous, and since Sirius had started work again, he made sure to always leave Remus food for when he woke up. Wincing at the pain in his head, Remus began the long, slow shuffle down to the kitchen.

He froze however, when he heard the door shut. He grabbed his wand with one hand, the other gripping the handrail tightly as he edged down the stairs. He came to a sudden stop when he reached the bottom of the stairs and realised whom it was.

"Alex? What are you doing here? And," Remus asked in a hoarse voice as Sirius' girlfriend turned around, revealing the precious cargo in her arms. "Why have you got Harry? I thought he was meant to stay at the Weasley's today"

Alex smiled at him, her dark green eyes taking in the way Remus was holding onto the banister tightly, almost like it was the only thing keeping him standing. It wasn't, but that wasn't too far off the mark. "He's not very well. Molly said he was sick a minute ago, and he's got a very high temperature. Sirius gave Molly my details last month, I'm the emergency contact for when you're out of action"

Now that he looked properly, Harry didn't look well. He was holding onto Alex so tightly that Remus was sure it would hurt. His face was pale and sweaty, and he was shivering slightly. He gave a pitiful moan, and Remus' heart broke. He hated to see Harry in this state. He wished, more than anything, that he could take this away. Harry didn't deserve to be ill.

Alex looked down at the dark haired six year old in her arms, concern written all over her face. "I'm going to take him up to bed. I'll get him comfy, and then if I can, I'll come and help you"

Remus watched her take Harry up to his room, not quite sure what to do with himself. His own problems suddenly seemed insignificant. He debated going up to see Harry, but when he swayed dangerously on the bottom step, he decided it was probably a bad idea. Plus, if Alex saw him looking this bad, she'd probably force him to go back to bed.

OoOoOo

Once he'd eaten the leftover cottage pie and forced himself to take a shower, Remus felt vaguely human again. Still using the banister for balance, Remus walked along to Harry's bedroom. He poked his head in the door and smiled at the sight. Alex was sitting on the edge of Harry's bed, holding a cold flannel on his forehead and tugging the duvet up under his chin.

"Do you think you can go straight to sleep Harry? Or do you want anything?"

Harry squinted at her, even though he couldn't see without his glasses, which Alex had put on his bedside table. "Where's Jethro?"

Alex smiled slightly. "He's laid down here. I don't think he could get any closer to you unless he were in bed with you"

Remus snorted at the sight of the Golden Retriever, his body pressed up against the side of the bed. He had to admit, getting the dog had been one of Sirius' better ideas over the years. Harry and that dog shared a bond the like of which Remus didn't think he'd seen anywhere else.

Harry grinned. "That's because he loves me. Could you tell me a story please? Remus always tells me a story before I go to sleep"

Alex looked around at Remus, but he gestured for her to continue. Harry and Alex had been introduced earlier that year, but Harry had been incredibly shy around her. He often was around new people. Maybe this was the beginning of a change in their relationship…

Alex frowned, trying to think of a suitable story to tell a six year old. "Ooh, have Sirius and Remus told you about the time when your mummy poured a whole goblet of pumpkin juice on your dad's head?"

_**AN: Right, I've written this chapter for two reasons. One, I just needed some cuteness. I'm struggling with uni work at the minute, and I just needed a break. Second, a few people have raised concerns about Alex. I don't want to put her in the main story too much, as I want that to focus on the relationship between Sirius, Remus and Harry. Also, I'm terrified of her becoming a mary-sue. She's not like that in my head, but I just worry that she is a bit sueish whenever I have a scene with her. **_

_**Oh, and don't fret. The next update for **_**The Last Years of Peace **_**is coming – I'd like to get a good way through chapter 57 before I put chapter 56 up **___

_**Please review.**_


	5. Chapter 5: Remembrance

"Marlene McKinnon" Sirius said, his voice shaking slightly as he touched the end of his wand to the candle in front of him. The small flame flickered as he drew his wand back.

It was a cold and wet Halloween night that found some of the surviving members of the Order of the Phoenix gathered in the lounge of Sirius' new house. Remus Lupin, his brown eyes the only specks of colour on his ashen face, was stood next to Emmeline Vance and Albus Dumbledore. Alastor Moody was sat in Remus' armchair, scowling fiercely as he rubbed at his new prosthetic leg, and Hagrid was sat on the sofa, handkerchief in hand. The four guests had come at Remus' request, as it was Sirius' first Halloween as a free man. They were only too happy to sit and honour the fallen.

Sirius was very aware that Remus was watching him very intently. He ignored him and took a step back from the candles. He knew what Remus thought, knew it was what everyone was thinking. He and Marlene had been good friends, but never anything more. Maybe something might have come from it eventually, but she'd died before they'd even had a chance. Sirius closed his eyes quickly; the memory of her face, contorted in agony swam before his eyes. "She was a wonderful friend," Sirius looked around the room, watching as Hagrid sobbed into his handkerchief and Emmeline swiped furiously at a tear. "I'm honoured to have known her"

Dumbledore swept past him. "My dear friend, Edgar Bones," He paused as he drew his wand. "And for his wife Mary, his son Lucas and his daughter Sarah," He took a deep, shuddering breath and stepped back, pain visible on his lined face.

Sirius knew why. Lucas and Sarah had only been aged five and two respectively when they'd died, and the memory of seeing their tiny coffins lowered into the ground was one that Sirius didn't think he'd ever forget. Hagrid sobbed even louder, obviously remembering the horrible way they were killed. A lone death eater had snuck in to their house at night, and killed them all as they slept. The only consolation the aurors could give the surviving Bones' was that they hadn't known what was happening. Sirius shuddered. He'd never really felt that was any consolation at all.

"Gideon and Fabien Prewett" Alastor said dully. "It took five death eaters to take them down," He looked around at them, his mantra dying in his throat as he spotted Sirius fighting back tears. Gideon and Fabien had been his friends, his good friends and the thought of them being gone had caused him to cry more times than he cared to admit.

"For Alice and Frank Longbottom," Remus said quietly. "Who deserved so much better than they got"

Sirius' breath hitched. The thought of what had happened to the Longbottoms made him feel sick every time someone mentioned it. They had been some of the kindest, most genuine people he'd ever met. He could still see the look of pure joy on Alice's face as she'd introduced them to the tiny little boy in her arms; still hear the slight crack in Frank's voice as he'd announced his name. _Neville. _Sirius frowned deeply. Another orphan of war. Just like the little boy whom Sirius had so carefully tucked into bed before everyone arrived.

Sirius had been conflicted all day. They hadn't approached the subject of Voldemort or any part of the war with Harry, so for all he knew today had been a day like any other. Sirius and Remus had done their best to keep up that illusion, but given that all Sirius wanted to do was down a bottle of firewhiskey and sob, it had not been easy. He was sure that Harry had probably noticed that something was wrong, but he hadn't said anything.

Remus put a gentle hand on Sirius' shoulder, who sucked in a deep breath before stepping forward. He drew his wand, trying to ignore how much his hand was shaking. "F-for James and Lily," He could feel tears already dripping down his face, but he didn't care. "I miss them so much, and I am so sorry"

He was vaguely aware that Remus and Dumbledore were both shuffling around awkwardly, but Sirius didn't pay them any notice. Hagrid was sobbing louder than ever, Emmeline was sniffing loudly and even Alastor bowed his head. Tears continued to drip down Sirius' gaunt face. "They were my family," He thought of Harry, the last piece of James and Lily. The last surviving member of their family. "I'm going to do right by him, I promise. I'll raise him to have James' loyalty and Lily's kindness. I…" Sirius tailed off, the lump of grief in his throat big enough now that he couldn't force any words around it. He dropped his face into his hands and sobbed.

He sobbed for a life torn apart by Voldemort. He sobbed for James and Lily, and Marlene, and Frank and Alice, and everyone else they'd lost. He sobbed for the survivors, and the guilt and the grief that had become a part of their everyday lives. But most of all, he sobbed for Harry. The poor little boy who would never know his family.

_**AN: Sorry about the massive delay since I've last updated. I've had a horrid month. Anyway, I'm working on the next chapter of Last Years of Peace right now :) Please leave a review, and let me know if someone out there is actually enjoying this x**_


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